AN: Whoa, this ended up somewhere different to what I intended. Feedback appreciated. Does everyone buy the explanations? To understand some of this, you needed to have paid full and proper attention to the very first author's note in Missing in Action. FYI if anyone wants to do some fan art using this story, I would love to see how you all interpreted it so go ahead, but please do tell me. I would do it myself but I can't, for personal reasons (my sister would kill me). Lol.

1680 words in this chapter

Phase Two

Chapter ten- Date part one

Sakura stepped out from the bathroom. She is so beautiful. How could I not have noticed that before? She's starting to make me feel depressed; Once, because I have ignored her all of these years, and then again because I can't have her now. I shouldn't have begged for that kiss. I should have just taken it. No, that's perverted… I really am useless at this. I can't concentrate when she looks like that.

Kakashi glared with his mouth open. She had dressed in a dark crimson, silk dress that hugged tightly to her figure but flowed loosely out from the hips to reach just below her knees. Where the top of the dress met thin black straps, a gentle sprinkling of clear beads and embroidery fell in blossom patterns. Her soft pink hair drifted around her shoulders to reach passed the patterned area and rest across her chest. She wore no shoes and her make-up was simple, but next to her Kakashi felt just as underdressed as he would have if he had stayed shirtless and unclean.

She smiled at him briefly before walking confidently over to the oven again to bring out the dinner she had cooked earlier. He desperately wanted to give her a compliment, just to say anything, but couldn't get out a word.

When the warm bowl appeared in front of him, he hardly even noticed its presence. His eyes were glued to Sakura as she sat opposite him and poured two glasses of wine out.

She gave him one of the glasses. "So…"

"Huh?" he mumbled out, understanding that she was expecting him to say something but couldn't figure out what.

She gestured to the bowl in front of him. "What do you think? Does it look nice?"

"Oh… um…" he finally looked down to see a bowl of Pasta with a light sauce and herbs on the top. He had never had anything like it but it did smell nice, and judging by the last few days of Sakura's cooking, he could tell it would be delicious. "It looks great."

"It's an Italian dish. Try it." She urged.

He picked up the fork that she had placed next to the bowl and took up a mouthful of the long, sauce covered carbohydrates. His mouth danced with excitement the second it reached his taste buds. It was so unlike anything he had ever tasted, and anything Sakura had cooked for him so far. "Mmm… this is amazing… what is this stuff?"

"Tagliatelle. The sauce is a special recipe I came up with when I was investigating the health and skill enhancing properties of different herbs. Not everything is in books you know."

"Wait… what exactly does this do to me?" his eyes went wide in fear. She drugged me…

She chuckled and took her own mouthful. "Calm down Kakashi. It's nothing tragic, it just helps you to enjoy the meal a bit more. It's like how chocolate can help the release of pheromones."

"Pheromones?"

"Yes, they are the hormones that make you happy, the ones that create the feeling that you are in love."

"Oh… you really are quite smart Sakura." He took another mouthful and sighed with pleasure.

She chuckled again "That's why I'm a senior medic Nin Kakashi. It takes a lot to get where I am now and it usually takes a lot longer."

"You're a senior?"

"Yes. I thought you knew that" she glared at him in a seemingly offended way.

He cringed "I knew that you were training to be a medic…"

"I finished my training three years ago."

"Oh…" he gulped. I should shut up. I should just bow my head and hide before I dig this hole any deeper.

"No worries Kakashi. I haven't been your student for a long time; I wouldn't expect you to follow my every move for life. If you did that for every one of your students, you'd never get a life of your own, right?"

He looked up with awe in his eyes at her maturity. "Thank you for being understanding Sakura. I thought you would be mad, because I do still follow Naruto's progress."

"Of course you do. Naruto is next in line to be Hokage, and an ANBU operative; you're bound to be more ready to follow his progress. Not to mention the fact that he has amazing natural abilities when he tries, he always has had. Where does a medic who stays away from the actual work compare to that? I understand."

"Sakura… that was never what I intended." He frowned "I never saw it that way. It's just…"

"I killed Sasuke. He was your wonder-kid, right?"

"Sakura!"

"No, that's it. Firstly, you were pissed off at me because my emotions got in the way and I went too far. Secondly, next to Sasuke, Naruto was the closest to a clone of you, what with the perverted habits and all…"

"Sakura, that's not it at all!"

"What then? Why didn't you care? Because that's the explanation I've been living on since I was fourteen." She looked away from him, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

"Sakura. I never… I'll admit that I ignored you. I'm not proud of it but it wasn't because of… him. I thought that you would be ok on your own. I was never a good sensei to you three and I thought that you would be too focused on Tsunade." He bowed his head again and began poking around in his half-eaten dinner with the fork "Naruto got my attention because… well because he needed it. He's impossible to control so he needs people around him to restrain him at times. If he was put into the Hokage's position back then, Konoha would be chaos."

"That's obvious. You don't need to lie about thinking I'd be fine though. Unless you didn't notice, I was an emotional wreck after that thing with Sasuke, and then my parents died. I wasn't ok, far from it; you just didn't want that responsibility. I really don't mind though. I'm over it. Life is so much more than that and I would never swap my life now, all of my successes, for the few friends I needed back then."

"I really regret it…"

She forced a smile and lifted a finger to his chin to bring his head up before looking in his eyes. "Don't regret... That's really why you don't let anyone in. You lost in the past and you're afraid to lose again. You have all of those regrets and you're terrified of having more. Stop hiding away Kakashi, it's not good for you."

"You really don't mind?"

She nodded sweetly. "It's done, finished; nothing can be done to redo it. After Sasuke, I learned not to regret; the pain was too much to stand. Besides, would I get dressed up like this if I hated you?"

She removed her finger and sat back, taking a sip from her wine glass as she did so. Kakashi breathed a small sigh of relief, feeling that this meal had turned out differently to how he had expected. "You really do look incredible. I'm astounded that you even own anything like that, never mind have it with you."

"I think that was a complement." She smiled mockingly "It may have been strangely put across but thank you. The dress is the same one I've had for years. My dad bought it for me to go to a wedding, I forget which one, but it's the only one I've got. Ino helped with a few alterations but this thing is ancient."

"Well, it looks as good as new."

"Thanks. I don't get to wear it that often so I jumped at the chance for this mission."

"Do you like dressing up like this then?"

"What girl doesn't? It's always been a dream of mine to go to a proper ball though. You know, one of those ball gown, high heels, and fancy dancing kind of parties. I've always wanted to be able to wear one of those gorgeous metal hair pins, the ones with little jewels and flowers on them."

Kakashi was busy imagining it "That would really suit you."

"I know, that's what Ino keeps telling me, but I can never afford one. Not that I ever got the chance to go to one of those balls."

"Aren't you friendly with Tenten? Surely you could get in to one of the Hyuuga affairs."

"Sure. I've been invited to a few now, but they are strictly for couples. You can't go alone, it's not seen as proper, especially if you are over the age of sixteen. I haven't got the time to go poking around for someone who can dance well enough so I never get to go."

"That's pathetic. I would let you come without a partner."

"Never mind. It's just another one of those things that I'm always going to miss out on. Tsunade wouldn't give me the time to go to a party like that anyway."

"You shouldn't let her push you that hard Sakura"

"Now you sound like my mother. I'm well passed caring. Work brings money. So long as she's still paying me, I'll work as long as she asks."

"This is really turning into an angsty counseling session, isn't it?"

"I know… I'm sorry. Try the wine. I'm going for another glass, maybe it'll help me to relax." She got up and went for the bottle.

Kakashi took a drink of the alcohol and then went to finish the plate of pasta in front of him. By the time she had come back, he had finished both and was feeling very friendly all of a sudden. Sakura's dress didn't help as he felt the serious need to have skin to skin contact again. He bit back the urge to reach out to her and leant his arm casually on the back of the booth seat.

"Are you feeling ok Kakashi?" Sakura asked him inquiringly.

"I'm great Sakura. Is it getting hot in here again?"

"Nope, but you are blushing ridiculously. I'm beginning to wonder if your mind is elsewhere"

He put his hands to his cheeks in embarrassment "N-no, I'm still here."

"Good."

To be continued…

AN: Duh duh duh.